A recent increase in audio-visual oriented applications has led to a desire for the development of a TV receiver that can obtain higher resolution images. In order to satisfy the desire in turn, a Hi-vision TV receiver has been developed. The Hi-vision TV receiver uses 1125 scanning lines, which are at least twice the number of the scanning lines used in an NTSC-system receiver of 525. Also, the Hi-vision receiver has an aspect ratio of 9:16 as compared to the NTSC-system receiver's aspect ratio of 3:4. As such, the Hi-vision receiver can display an image with a higher resolution and realism than the NTSC-system one.
Although the Hi-vision system has these excellent features, the Hi-vision receiver cannot display a Hi-vision image when an NTSC-system video signal is supplied as it is. This is because, as mentioned above, the NTSC system and the Hi-vision system have different standards.
To display the Hi-vision image corresponding to the NTSC-system video signal, the applicant of this application has previously disclosed a converter for converting the NTSC-system video signal into the Hi-vision video signal (see Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-51599).
This converter extracts, from an NTSC-system video signal, pixel data sets of a block (region) thereof which correspond to pixel data set of an objective position in a Hi-vision video signal, thereby deciding a class including the pixel data set of the objective position based on level distribution patterns of the pixel data sets in this block and then producing the pixel data set of the objective position corresponding to this class.
In a conventional system, pre-selected recording of broadcast programs through a recorder such as VTR is carried out by user of the recorder, who has found preferred programs with referring to a program schedule table in the newspaper or an EPG (electronic program guide) and pre-selects the corresponding preferred programs through the recorder.
In the converter mentioned above, the resolution of a picture generated by video signal of Hi-vision system is fixed, so that a desired resolution according to his preference for the content of the picture or the like cannot be obtained as he wishes unlike conventional contrast and sharpness adjustments.
Thus, the applicant of this application has also proposed (see Japanese Patent Publications Nos. 2001-238185 and 2000-348730) wherein when converting the NTSC-system video signal into the Hi-vision video signal, the corresponding Hi-vision video signal is generated in accordance with the values of inputted parameters and the user can freely regulate the resolution of the picture generated by the Hi-vision system video signal.
In this scheme, although the user can freely regulate the resolution of a picture, the allowable adjustment range of resolution is fixed. For example, a satisfactory adjustable range is not always available for a user who has adjusted the resolution with particular emphasis on that of one limit in the allowable adjustment range. Thus, there is a need for a scheme in which a user can adjust the resolution according to his preference.
In the conventionally pre-selected recording as mentioned above, no programs that the user avoids pre-selecting will be recorded. As a consequence, when, even if a user has a favorite program, he or she could not find it in a program table, he or she fails to pre-select the recording of the favorite program. In such occasion as mentioned above, it would be convenient for the user if a favorite program is automatically pre-selected to record it as scheduled. Alternatively, when the user has a favorite program, it would be also convenient for the user if he or she could obtain a suggestion or recommendation about his favorite program.